Exclusively Nova: The Star Maker

There is a star maker in our midst, and he calls himself "Exclusively Nova". He was born and raised in the Rockaway area and graduated from Beach Channel High School in 1991.

Nova works as a talent representative, manager, publicist and photographer in the entertainment industry. He has made many celebrity contacts in the areas of film, television and music. Recently, he was invited to a dinner at a New Jersey mansion, where one of the invited guests was none other than Steven Spielberg.

It all began in January of 2000, when he started working with his cousin "Superb", a rapper from Edgemere who had just been signed to a record deal with Wu Tang Records. He then went on to handle all facets of the artists' publicity and photo sessions and has not stopped since.

"I love this industry. I have never enjoyed working as much as I do now. I am having a ball being a leader, innovator and decision maker," Nova states.

Superb was the hip-hop star featured in a past article of The WAVE, which was entitled, "A Superb Way To Live". Most recently, another star from his stable of talent, "Miss Jarixza", graced the pages of The WAVE as a model, actress and dancer, and she will be appearing in an ad for the September issue of Vibe Magazine.

In the last year, Nova has established a working relationship with Team Fubu, XXL, Vibe and Source Magazine, as well as a number of corporate entities. Some of his talent has appeared at colleges for autograph signings and charity events.

He is quick to note that desire, chance meetings and luck have played an enormous part in his success thus far. While covering assignments as a photographer, he had the opportunity to meet Clyde Davis, a well-known sports photographer. Soon, he began in internship with Davis, which consisted of covering all games at Madison Square Garden.

Fate knocked on his door once again when another cousin, "Big Malc", one of Fubu's top designers, requested that he let some of his talent model for the clothing line. The shoots led to the discovery of noted models Shelia Grant and Danielle, both of whom took part in a series of fashion related events for Fubu Entertainment.

It did not take long before his models and talent were in high demand for music performances, movie screenings and auditions, boxing matches, The Black Expo, studio sessions and private industry parties. This gave him the chance to be photographed and introduced to many celebrities, such as boxer Sugar Shane Mosley, Ice-T, L.L. Cool J, Toney Touch and JETS running back Curtis Martin.

When questioned about what has been the greatest source of inspiration for him, he replied, "There are two people responsible for pointing me in the right direction. The best industry advice I ever received came from Daymond John, CEO of Fubu. He said that anything could be done. It will not be easy by any means, but it you can make it if you stay focused and believe in yourself. This was coming from a man that used to drive dollar vans! He also said that you should learn what you want to do and master it."

The superstar rapper L.L. Cool J. was the person who gave Nova the most inspirational advice. He continued, "L.L. stressed that there was never any reason to have a sense of negativity in the industry. You can always find ways to be successful and stay positive, and you have to remember to always spend time with the family. Without family and God, you have nothing."

His latest achievement took place on August 7 of this year, when modeling agent Hilory Beckford, the mother of modeling superstar Tyson Beckford, used "Miss Jarixza’s" photo to comprise a "comp card", which is used to promote models that are in high demand.

The aspiring entrepreneur strongly states that education is a major component in obtaining any goal.

"The problem with young people trying to get into the game today is they think they can thug their way through to fame and fortune. That doesn’t work! Get an education and do the research on any field you plan to get into. Otherwise, you won’t survive this business. I’ve seen too many people lose out because they could not read, interpret or negotiate a contract. If you hire people to do it, you could end up losing thousands of dollars. They should educate themselves to the point where they can control what is theirs."

With all that The Creator has blessed him with, Nova realizes that the most important thing is to remember your roots, and he makes that a focal point when addressing kids still struggling in the inner city.

"I will always come back to my people as a way of giving back. They have a lot of negative to deal with, so I use my success to show them that they can have something positive in their lives if they’re willing to work at it. If you can avoid being influenced by negative elements, then you have half the battle won, and nothing will stop you from being successful."

Exclusively Nova is determined to let the world know that he will not stop until he has reached his goal.

"I don’t intend to stop until I am a new millennium millionaire."

Based on his accomplishments, I don’t think this star will fade anytime soon.